Condemned man Roy Lee Ward has withdrawn the final two federal lawsuits that sought to delay his execution , effectively guaranteeing that his death sentence will be carried out before sunrise Friday at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City.

Ward’s decision ends months of litigation over how Indiana carries out executions and the lethal injection drugs the state uses. The dismissals close the window for courts to intervene, with the exception of last-minute relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s high court justices denied such efforts ahead of the state’s previous two executions.

The 44-year-old Ward was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne in Spencer County.

Gov. Mike Braun, following a recommendation from the Indian

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